‘Sick and tired of seeing people walking barefoot around Dublin’

SICK AND TIRED of seeing Dubliners walking barefooted around the city?
It’s not just the homeless.
They also walk on pavements and walk in parks.
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is calling for more research into why so many people in Ireland walk on the pavement.
It says that while there are good reasons for walking, there are many factors behind it including a lack of support for people with physical or mental health issues, and a perception that walking in public is unsafe.
“We need to understand why people walk on our streets, what is the impact on them and the public, what are the health consequences, and how can we address these issues,” said NHMRC Chair Dr Richard Murphy.
“If people are walking on the streets, then we should be doing more to encourage people to walk on those streets.”
There are many reasons why people choose to walk in the street, from a desire to avoid getting sick to a desire for social interaction.
Dr Murphy said it was also because the streets were often congested, and walking would get people to socialising.
“The streets are packed with people who need to be able to get in contact with people.
They don’t like to be on the sidewalk, so they walk,” he said.
“It’s a very natural thing.”
Dr Murphy said that the NHMFC was keen to work with the Government to look at ways to support the walking population.
“If we can get people out of the street and into the city centre, that’s an incredibly powerful thing,” he added.
“But if we can’t do that, then it’s going to have an impact on the health of people and their wellbeing.”